Keith Craft Inc.- We service what we sell!!! Check out our Cobra engines!!! We build high performance racing engines and components for the fast pace strip racing industry as well as daily drivers who want to be FIRST!!!

FE Forums sponsored by Keith Craft Inc.


Go Back   Club Cobra > Engine Building, Tuning, and Induction > FE TALK

Welcome to Club Cobra!  The World's largest non biased Shelby Cobra related site!

  •  » Representation from nearly all Cobra/Daytona/GT40 manufacturers
  •  » Help from all over the world for your questions
  •  » Build logs for you and all members
  •  » Blogs
  •  » Image Gallery
  •  » Many thousands of members and nearly 1 million posts! 

YES! I want to register an account for free right now!  p.s.: For registered members this ad will NOT show

MMG Superformance
Nevada Classics
Keith Craft Racing
Main Menu
Nevada Classics
Nevada Classics
MMG Superformance
Advertise at CC
Banner Ad Rates
MMG Superformance
Keith Craft Racing
MMG Superformance
February 2026
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Kirkham Motorsports

Like Tree24Likes

 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #13 (permalink)  
Old 12-25-2025, 07:02 AM
CC Member
Visit my Photo Gallery

 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Omaha, NE
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA, 496 Tunnel Wedge
Posts: 136
Send a message via AIM to My427stang
Not Ranked     
Default

I build a bunch of strokers, Windsor, FE and 385 series. All are good.

A Windsor, 351 or 302 based, makes a lot of power on the cheap (relatively). Lighter, easier to find parts, and makes for a really strong combo. Last 347 I did made 490 HP with a 216 duration cam, and 13 inches of vacuum...hard to beat for something driving often

A 385 is heavy, but the power that can be made is incredible. Cheaper than an FE for the most part, but IMHO not quite as pretty under the hood of a Cobra. Although brutal torque on a nose heavy car is really lopsided in my view

The FE is unique, but correct for a 427 car, they run great, we can click off a Sunday family driver, no maintance at 550-600 HP and 600 ft lbs in our sleep, and as an example, my own 489 has been together since 2006 and behaves like a new engine. In fact, I have a 505 in the works but can't find a reason to take apart the 489

If you were to come into my shop, I'd look at budget, use, which Cobra kit, the owner's personality. I'd personally push toward an FE if a 427 car, but if someone was on a budget or just wanted the looks of the car, the Windsors are a very nice combo

FYI - Even a stock stroke 390 can be brutal in these cars and brings the budget way down.
__________________
1994 ERA Cobra, 452 side oiler, C5AE-F, Tunnel Wedge
70 Mustang Fastback, EFI 489 FE TKO-600, too much to list
71 F-100 4x4 EFI 461 FE restomod

Bullock's Power Service, LLC
Concours and performance engines by appointment only
https://www.facebook.com/BullocksPowerService
Reply With Quote
 


Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:00 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
The representations expressed are the representations and opinions of the clubcobra.com forum members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the site owners, moderators, Shelby American, any other replica manufacturer, Ford Motor Company. This website has been planned and developed by clubcobra.com and its forum members and should not be construed as being endorsed by Ford Motor Company, or Shelby American or any other manufacturer unless expressly noted by that entity. "Cobra" and the Cobra logo are registered trademarks for Ford Motor Co., Inc. clubcobra.com forum members agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyrighted material is owned by you. Although we do not and cannot review the messages posted and are not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we reserve the right to delete any message for any reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s). Thank you for visiting clubcobra.com. For full policy documentation refer to the following link: CC Policy